Body garment



Aug. 2, 19 8.

M. R. BARNES BODY GARMENT Filed July 20, 1937 Fatented 2, 3938 ZAZSAM rant @FFEQE 3Claims.

This invention relates to a body garment particularly adapted to cover the body from the region of the waist downwardly over the hips and buttocks and is specifically directed toward a type of garment known in the feminine undergarment trade as a panty. Garments of this type may or may not be provided with hose supporters and may or may not be attachedto or integral with upper portions adapted to cover the diaphragm and bust. Garments of this general type can be made of woven, knitted, relatively non-stretchable or resiliently stretchable material. when resilient.- ly stretchable materials such as elastic fabrics are employed, the garment has a tendency to impart an undesirable bulbosity or roundness to the abdomen and buttocks. The structure of the present invention is adapted to impart a highly desired flatness to the abdomen and/or buttocks. In panties of previously accepted type the gelment terminated at the side of the wearer in a plane which was coincidental with or above a horizontal plane passing through the crotch. In the event agarment covering the sides of the upper leg was desired, the wearer had to resort to a corset or girdle, these latter garments extending below the level of the crotch. Garments such as corsets and the like are open at the bottom and do not encircle each leg nor are they provided with a crotch portion. Corsets, however, are usually made .of resilient or yieldably I stretchable materials which'tend to mold the body within the limits describedhereinabove. The present invention is directed to a struc- .ture which includes a, crotch portion and leg sections and thereby distinguishes from a corset but which present structure is capable of molding the body in a desired manner without imparting an undesirable bulbosity. Furthermore, the 40 garment of this invention is relatively free from seams and although close-fitting, is at the same time comfortable, yielding, resilient and conformable to a variety of bodily contours.

Moreover, undergarments'of thepanty type have often been baggy, loose and unadapted for use beneath closely-fitting gowns whereas the present invention is directed toward a parity which although it is provided with leg sections, is adapted to closely adhere to the body.

An object or this invention, therefore, is to provide a garment construction whereby a closely-ntting panty may be made from a minimum nber of pieces and properly-cover and mold the torso.

Another. object oi the invention isto and provide a body garment embodying a crotch member which extends upwardly toward the waist and functions as a member for restraining the abdomen.

Another object of the invention is to disclose a body garment construction in which materials. capable of stretching in two directions are combined with materials capable of stretching in one direction only so as to i'orm a panty tree from puckers, folds, wrinkles, etc., and encircling the legs or the wearer.

Another object is to disclose a body garment constructed essentially of material yieldably stretchable in more than one direction, said garment including a crotch member consisting of material stretchable in one direction only, said crotch member being provided with an extension which forms a part of the front of the garment and functions to control the abdomen of the wearer. I

These and other objects, uses and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred construction, reference being made to the appended drawing showing an illustrative form of the invention.

In such drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view in plan of one form of garment in a position assumed when the garment is laid flat.

Fig. 2 is a perspective front view of the garment on the body.

Fig. 3 is a three-quarter rear view of the garment shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a crotch member in extended form.

Fig. 5 is a three-quarter rear view of a modifled form of garment coming within the scope of this invention.

In the form of garment shown in the drawing the panty illustrated is one which terminates in the regionof the waist but extends downwardly to a plane somewhat below the level of the crotch. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the garment is provided with legs, generally indicated at I and II,

the garment embodying acrotch member, generally indicated by the numeral l2, which traverses the front of the wearer and extends through the crotch to the back and then upwardly in the back of the garment, the rear portion of the crotch member I! being indicated at H. 'l'h crotch mhmber I2 is shown in extended plan view in Fig. 4 and it is to be noted that the crotch member may be divided into three portions, namely, a crotch portion indicated at ll, the rear portion indicated at I3, and the front portion.

of the crotch portion I4 being adapted to form leg sections I1 and H on the opposing inner sides of the legs of the wearer, as'shown in Fig. 2. The member I2 at a point between the narrow portion I6 and the crotch portion I4 is preferably provided with outwardly turned'points or enlargements, indicated at I8 and I8"so as to create a greater width at that transverse section than evenat the crotch portion I4.

The front portion I5 of the member I2 preferably extends to the waist of the garment and in the region of said Waist is appreciably wider than the narrow section it which, whenthe garment is on the body, is located in the lower front portion of the garment.

The rear portion I3 may be'pointed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The length of the rear portion I3 may vary but preferably said rear portion at its juncture with the crotch portion M is wider than said crotch portion so as to form the points I9 and I9.

The crotch member I2 is preferably made of material which is resiliently stretchable longitudinally of said member but which is not yieldingly stretchable transversely. As a result, when the member I2 is applied to the body the front portion or extension 1 5 is yieldably stretchable vertically but not horizontally. The sides of the crotch portion I4, said sides being indicated at I 7 and H, are adapted to cover the opposing inner sides of the legs of the wearer and are I stretchable peripherally of the legs. The rear portion or extension I3 is upwardly directed, as shown in Fig. 3, and is stretchable vertically, thereby facilitating bending movements of the body of the wearer, but such rear portion I3 is not stretchable horizontally and thereby suitably flattens the middle portion 'of the buttocks.

The garment also comprises a body member, indicated at 20, which is attached to the longitudinal edges of the forward extension I5 of the member I2, as indicated at 2| and 22. The body member 20 is adapted to cover the sides or hips of the wearer and may extend completely across the back, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The edges of the rear portion-l3 may fit into a suitable cut-out portion in the lower back of the body member 20 (as shown in Fig. 3) and be connected as along the edges 23 and 24 with said body member 20.

The body member 20 may be of any desired height are formed'of the body member and of the mar-' ginal edges of the crotch portion I4. Preferably, the body member'ZII is resiliently stretchable both vertically and horizontally and thereby the finished garment is rendered capable of accommodating a variety of bodily contours and of moldlng the body to a desired form. Inasmuch as the forward extension I5 of the member I2 is' yieldingly stretchable vertically, such forward portion I5 will stretch vertically simultaneously with the adjoining portions of the body member 20 and no puckers, wrinkles or folds will be visible.

By reason of the width of the member I2 in the region of the crotch as at 44, the garment can not be readily laid flat but instead assumes an appearance such as indicated in Fig. 1, the

fullness of the crotch resulting in folds generally indicated at I4 in Fig. 1. The narrow'zone or constriction I6 located in the lower front of the garment, overlying the pubic region, increases the yieldability of the garment in the region of the buttocks and prevents undesirable strains when the wearer moves the legs. It is to be noted that the constriction I6 is substantially at a zone where the groin lines of the wearer would intersect, thereby giving greater freedom to the body during running, bending, etc., since a. large amount of resiliently stretchable material of the body portion 20 is thereby embodied in the front of the garment in the region of the groins.

Inthe modified form of garment shown in Fig. 5 the rear extension, indicated at I3, is shown extending to the waist in the back of the wearer; such elongated rear portion I3 may be of any suitable width but is preferably relatively narrow at or in the region of the waist.

It is to be noted that that section of the crotch member I2 between the points 48 and I9 or B8 and I9 is not attached to thebody member 20. The points I8 and I8 give rise to an increased Width of the crotch member l2 immediately below the narrow constriction It so thatfurther 'and, as stated hereinbefore, such piece is resiliently stretchable longitudinally'but not transversely.- When the rearward extension I3 is .enlarged, as shown in Fig. 5, then the body member 20 may be made of two pieces, each extending from one edge of the front portion I5 to the edge of the rear portion I3. I

1. In a body garment of the character described and provided with a. waist portion, the combination of: a crotch member which in extended form comprises a rear portion, a front portion and an intermediate crotch portion, said crotch member being resiliently stretchable longitudinally but not transversely, the front portion of said member being adapted to traverse the abdomen to the waist portion, said front portion being relatively wide inthe region of the waist and narrow at the lower portion of the-front of the garment; the intermediate crotch portion of said member being sufficiently wide to cover the crotch of thev wearer and extend downwardly along opposing inner sides of the legs when on the wearer; the narrow constriction being adapted to overlie the pubic region and being materially narrower than the front portion in the region of the abdomen and narrower than said crotch portion; and a body member adapted to resiliently stretch vertically and horizontally, attached to the edges of said front portion of the crotch member, adapted to cover the hips and also attached to the rear portion of the crotch member at the back; said rear portion of the crotch member extending upwardly toward the waist, the lower edge portions of the body member coacting with the edge areas of the crotch portion to form a pair of separately movable leg-encircling pants.

2. In a body garment of the character described and provided with a waist portion, the combination of a body member adapted to cover the back' and sides and adapted to resiliently stretch both vertically and horizontally, and a crotch portion connecting the back of said member and extending upwardly in front to the waist portion and attached to the edges of the side member in front, said crotch portion being elastic and resiliently stretchable vertically and substantially not stretchable horizontally, said crotch portion being provided with a relatively wide section in the region of the waist of the garment and a narrow-section at the lower portion of the front of the garment overlying the pubic region, the crotch portion being wider than said narrow section and wider than, the crotch of the wearer and adapted'to cover the crotch and opposing inner sides of the legs of the wearer, portions of the body member adjacent the lower edges thereof and edge portions of the crotch portion combining to form apair of separately movable leg-encircling pants,

3. In a. garment of the character described, the

combination of: side members adapted to cover the sides of the body from the region of the waist down to below the hips, said side members extending over at least a portion of the front and back of the body; a. continuous strip of longitudinally stretchable material differing in width and adapted to extend over the abdomen downwardly, then through the crotch between the legs, said strip comprising a wide portion adapted to cover the abdomen, a wide crotch portion, said crotch portion being adapted to cover the crotch and extend downwardly over opposing inside surfaces of the legs, a rear terminal portion adapted to be attached to the side members at the back of the wearer, and a narrow constriction between said wide abdominalportion and the crotch portion, said narrow constriction being over the pubic region, said side members in the front of the garment being attached to the edges of the abdominal and constricted portions of the strip and to the beginning of the wide crotch portion, said side members being made of horizontally and resiliently stretchable material whereby a relatively large amount of such resilient material is embodied in the front of the garment in the region of the groin and flexibility of the garment is enhanced, the lower edge portions of the side members and the edge sections of the crotch portion 01 the strip combining to form a pair of separately movable leg-encircling pants.

MABS RYDENBARNEB. 0 

